The Loner
by TheNinjaFromYesterday
Summary: Emily is an Australian in a British school, surrounded by close-minded fools who hate her for the fact that she doesn't care about her appearance, or if she liked the newest song of the Weird Sisters. It doesn't help that the Terror Twins - the most famous people in their grade - are actually connected to her and her friend by their minds. Oops?
1. This Is Me

There are times when one must know when to unleash their true crazy self. If set off too earily or too fast, the consiquences are unspoken.

You must, at first, hold all strange and weird personalities under lock and key. Keep your friendly personality out in the open, and draw people in to be your future friends. Once they're safely in your friend zone, pick out that key and unlock that chest. Crack it open and let seep out. However, don't throw it open like the mouth of the shark from Jaws and let it all flood out. Once open, let the erosion laws take place. Ever so slowly, you'll come out of the cocoon of the half false you to flutter and fly with the weird and strange wings without anyone realising it.

When one forgoes the lock and key or is too impatient for the laws, what you get is the polar opposite; a loner.

I've made this mistake twice in my life so far. The first time, when I was really young but I still had a desk buddy. Before I moved to England to go to Hogwarts (because mum came from there), I gathered more than one desk buddy and soon had a nice circle of friends.

The second time was exactly two years ago before boarding this scarlet train before me. Hogwarts is a boarding school for the magical. My mum was the witch who went here but moved to Australia and met dad, another wizard. Before Hogwarts, I went to an Australian muggle school. When it's the Christmas holidays, I pop over to Australia (sometimes literally) and visit my old friends. As such, I am skilled in both worlds, as my parents are both muggle-born, and virtually leave the magical world when they do not need it.

I was pretty excited for a new school and friends, so the warnings and rules I set myself went straight over my head. Looking back now, I'm sure I pretty darn sure I just ran up to another uncoloured robed girl and scares her away. It excalated from from that, as time proceeded. As I realised my mistake I grew desperate and effectively drove everyone away. Finally, when the other girls in my dorm moved out, it slapped me in the face. As such, I withdrew myself and barely interacted with other students as I knew they wouldn't want to even talk with a freak like me.

I think myself that I thrive by myself; no need to talk, no need to be around them constantly and no need to remind them why your friends.

It was just Me, Myself and I.

Well, not exactly, because I fell back to my old buddies I always had; books, words and music. Muggle music of course. Wizard music is so crap. But more on that later. By a spell my fellow Australians had invented but hadn't gone viral, I could listen to muggle music on my phone and through my massive ear phones in while reading and even in class because the teachers didn't notice me! My books varied everyday from studying, fiction, muggle science and even the school rules. Which was pretty cool since I could do things teachers and students thought were rules (if they noticed me in the first place) and when they dragged me up to Dumbledore's office for lying, the two of us had the greatest time of seeing their faces when Headmaster informed them of the truth. I swear he had a score of times I was hauled up to the office!

By the time I was in second year I had become a person you swore you saw in the library ever time you came (I probably was). I was just one of those people in the background, not worth mentioning, not worth speaking to, and not worth looking at twice.

However, even though I have told you all of this, I don't think you understand.

I claim that I was forgotten, left alone and everything was fine. Well, that was at the start. Around the end of the school year my peers discovered an activity that they could indulge in and not get caught: bullying.

I was the centre target. At first it was little jinxes, tiny ones that did nothing but annoy me, brushing it off like it was nothing. My mistake. Some people don't understand how some serious bullying, like forcing them to take a dive in the Lake, gets there. Well, let me tell you, it doesn't automatically go straight to "dares." Bullying slowly escalates.

It's like that. From not being noticed, to jinxes, and by second grade people were telling me to do their homework and assignments. I, growing up in Australia and learning in a school where trouble makers were the major percentage, learnt that lashing out to defend yourself was likely the only way to be heard. Biting wasn't so bad either.

I got it easy. I've seen people cave because they believe it'll pass, no need to break out in kung-fu moves like Holave, and end up transferring away because it got so bad, all because they let it. I know that the more we learn, the more defense spells I have to learn as well.

At least my Charms and DoDA marks have never been higher.

What I worry about above all, beyond the bullying, beyond my marks, is my parents. I hate to tell them that I have no friends so year after year I tell them I do have friends, don't worry. I don't want my idiotic peers effect them so much they cry (that happened once). So, starting my third year, I have yet again lied to them.

Which brings you up to date... please, enjoy.


	2. Third Year

Chapter ll

Third Year

* * *

"I'm fine. I love being with my friends." I roll my eyes as mum fussed around with my robes minutes before I would board my transport to Hogwarts.

"Okay, as long as you have friends and good grades." Mum gave me one last hug before pushing me gently to the train. Just in time, apparently, because seconds later the train began to move. I backwards waved to my family as the Express gathered speed. All the way at the end of the train, which took me about 20 minutes to get there, I found an empty cabin. Chucking my trunk on the floor, not bothering to shove it above me, I reached for my backpack and searched for my Artemis Foul series, hoping to get a good chunk read.

I was halfway through the first book when commotion outside my door broke through my cone of silence and scratched me in the ears.

The Weasley twins.

Cue scowl. The most popular in my grade - probably even the whole school - for pranking and they didn't know they had everyone but me and the Slytherins linking out of their hands. Lee, who was a true friend when they meet on the train turned into a jealous git when they became famous. The twins only sensed a slight change in the friends and excluded him on a few pranks. Just a few.

Anyway, they were being yelled by another Gryffindor with horns. I went straight back to my book, hoping they would get a massive punishment.

I only changed when the old lady from the trolley called over the intercom that they were arriving at Hogwarts in a short amount of time. After hastily shoving my books back into my backpack (which was another thing that made me weird in Hogwarts; nearly everyone either had a shoulder bag or carries their books around with them) and did a quick brush of my vivid scarlet hair. Dyed of course. I'm hoping it get it rainbow next year. I rushed for the first few carriages since I had to attend the welcome feast otherwise I will get punished by Filch and Mrs Norris.

However, it was useless as I was shoved back by everyone. By the time I had gotten a leeway to a carriage, it was the very last few. Luckily I had no one with me.

I believed myself quite selfless. Since no one liked me, I went out of my way to avoid being with anyone in the same cabin/carriage/seat. No one noticed, but they would if I didn't.

I peaked around the massive doors of the Great Hall and spied no seat that was absolutely vacant. Sighing, I decided that Filch was going to have some sick pleasure again before school started.

Once having a nice chat and a few bites with the house elves, I wondered around, waiting for Filch or Mrs Norris to find me. There was a second motive to my choices; once having the annually changed password, I could steal any confiscated items back and give it back to the owner. Funny thing was Filch didn't have a clue.

"Out again Holave?" came a sly voice behind me and a meow. Facing Filch I pulled my 'oh crap' face on. His smirk widened and I was lead to his office. I sat down in a chair I swore had the twins name on it before once and memorized the password. While Filch rattled on about how I should be in the Great Hall, I looked around. A dirty parchment was poking out of one of the drawers, covering the label. I shrugged. Maybe next time I'll be in here.

Filch had finally finished with his annoying speech and had let me go. Mrs Norris was on my heels all the way to the Fat Lady, I think to make sure I didn't put a toe out of line. Thankfully, I got there with no problems as the rest of my house swept up the stairs and pulled to a halt. As the password was swept through the crowd in whispers, I was tempted to make it into a Chinese Whispers game and have the people on the end have the wrong password. But, it was too late so I noted it down for next year. If I remember.

Once I had a clear pathway into the Common room, I darted up the stairs before the tired First Years came stomping up like trolls. My dorm room was the first one on the third level, with only my name on the plaque. _Emily Holave._ Time to start making my room a mess.

Pass the door and parallel to it, was a single bed with my trunk at the foot. Mum had put an Undetectable Extension Charm on it when all my books, text books, clothes, and other odds and ends wouldn't fit into it last year. Thank _god_. The first thing I did was pull all my posters out and stick them on the wall. There were music posters of dead and living stars, quotes, anime and manga posters, and nearly everything you could think of.

On the right side of my bed was books and clothes. The books, which were non-school, were stacked in piles of threes outlined a walkway in between the wall and middle of the room. Normal (muggle) clothes were thrown in there own ways, not caring if they were winkled or not.

On the left side of the room (from my bed) was alllllll my school crap. Text books, exercise books, _pacers_ and spare _p__aper_ and robes where everywhere in a loose formation of settings. Again, there was a lightly outlined hallway between the wall and the junk.

With eyelids about to close, I dragged myself to the shower and had a quick wiz through. Once in my PJs, I was off into sleep world. What would tomorrow's horrors will scar on me?


	3. Last One Is The Rotten Egg

**•Chapter lll•**

**•Last One is the Rotten Egg•**

* * *

The effect of having only one bed in the dorm and nearly every centimetre claimed by my junk is a dark, gloomly and all over creepy dorm. Thank god mum wasn't here to see it, she would have a fit.

"Actually, she would cry her tear ducts dry if she sees the truth." I murmured under my breath as I sit up, and silence my alarm clock. I knew this because in year five (when I was around 10 years old) my mum came crying to my teacher when I had left it slip heard no friends. Mrs M came over and straightened everyone out. Perhaps this is when I began to create new friendships.

My morning chore was firstly, get dressed, secondly, brushing hair and teeth. Then I would normally pack my books for the day, my timetable glanced at once in the morning and hoped that it was memorized perfectly. Unfortunately, I could not do so, as obviously it was the first day of the school year. But from the last two years I could gather that I would have double Charms first. The year above me would have double Transfigerstion and the year below would have double History. I suspected when I graduated the next year's first years would have double Charms. Just a hunch.

Another annoying thing about this school is some Headmasters and Headmistresses back they had enough of the Gryffindors and Slytherinsalways at each other's throats and shoved the two houses together in our year subjects (see paragraph above - that's what I call them). Now let's all join hands together and sing kyumbya.

Fifteen minutes later my personal theory was proven correct. Now don't go and claim saying I'm a genius; I've got one theory stating that pimples are something like a seed pod; open the shell, take out the squishy part from inside and the whole thing will collapse. Yeah, right Emily.

Waking up at 7 o'clock has small rewards; only one other teacher is there and all the seats are empty when you talk in at 7:15. My timetable floated down next to me; obviously Professor McGonagall up on the teacher table wasn't awake enough to pull her weight around it.

As usual I shoved my breakfast into my mouth and wizzed out of the Great Hall before it got too crowded. Already I could see the fingers and hear the whispers; Tiani from my year was filling an oblivious first year with poison. Her face was begining to twist into disgust.

The hike back up to my house tower grew harder as time crept closer to 8 o'clock. However when I exited I noticed other students excsicuting the exact same mission. No matter how early I get up and rush from the Great Hall. Be it the normal guy, the bookworm or the popular chick that I am so sure she'll fail at life, it was always second. It kinda turned into a game... Through out the whole year level. The last one was truly the rotten egg, Fred and George made sure after a relatively popular muggle born made the joke. And, ever since the nice-smelling charms were learnt (I think a previous Rotten Egg begged for one of the teachers to teach the year level) it was deemed a dark mark on your name.

Today's rotten egg was surprisingly (okay, I did feel like she needed it) Tiani, and for the rest of the day she would have the stench of a rotten egg. Totally did a plus on her name for the popular charts.

The day was like everyone expected; reviews of the last year if we forgot anything, plus a redo of the previous spell/potion/theory. This counted for every class for the next few days. Potions was okay (shock!) but with Professor Snape breathing down the Gryffindor's necks and much less the Ravenclaws tened to bring the awesomeness level down just a few (hundred). But there was no use crying over spilt milk.

After dinner I was reminded that I was No. Negative 10000 on the charts; Tiani and her friend Shay cornered me and tried to lower self-esteem and make me promised I would be the Rotten Egg tomorrow. Years of anti-bullying programs back in Australia and my give-a-damns busted made the words flow around my head like water, my ears light years away from the deathly words.

"So, you agree?" Tiani smirked. My eyes had dropped to the floor ages ago giving her and Shay some false confidence. I looked up and Tiani's smirk-

"You say something?" okay, I admit, I did kinda expect a green clad thing burst through the door, not Tiani frothing at the mouth. She and Shay were full on glaring at me, my blatant care for reputation limiting their movement to just acting like a bunch of animals (no offense). As I skipped out from the bullies, my not-so-inner self came up with an idea.

"If I only had a heart!" I rested my hand on my tin chest, pretending to think it was hollow.

And besides, if I somehow turned out to be Rotten Egg, I could care less about my rank.

* * *

A/N:

I own nada. Even where the refrences are from.


	4. The Line

**•Chapter lV•**

**•The Line•**

* * *

Apparently not going to any kind of Qudditch match, is a massive mark against your name. Also, running around the practically empty castle singing on the top of your lungs even if you are ridiculously good (which I'm not even close to) you could count yourself as That Girl/The Loser/The Freak/Her/It.

I have no clue why would everyone in this castle but me loves Quidditch. And I mean, _**LOVES**_. It's like... Ug. The whole thing evolves around the seeker. Do you really need all the other players when all the points the Chasers score are just a waste of time when the Seeker gains 150 points by wrapping their sweaty little paws around a prissy little ball. Wizard logic is worse than Straw Hat logic. And that's saying a lot.

So.

Oh! Staying inside the castle when there is Quidditch match playing outside. As I said two (does the 'So.' count as a paragraph?) paragraphs ago, I was found in the Great Hall dancing (oops, forgot about that tidbit) and singing 5, 6, 7, 8 Steps while about a kilometer West a Quidditch match was playing.

And that's not it!

That's not all!

The baby - no, sorry - it's a Gryffindor VS Slytherin match!

Unforgivable!

Unacceptable!

Unthinkable!

Un...un...ART IS A BANG!... Um...

So my current points, -1 000 000, take 1 000 points for singing, another 1 000 for dancing, 10 000 for being inside during a Qudditch match, 100 000 for it being a G VS S match, 1 000 000 for already being me/a weirdo/freak/ect, which equals Negative Billion And Somethin'.

Every other girl's nightmare.

I love myself in times like these.

* * *

By doing an Unthinkable (now there's a theory I can throw in the trash can! I'm thinking it right now! And you know what? I can think it!) I will never catch the shores of 'The Not So Losers' even if I look through the most powerful telescope. Even if the twins, no, even if Harry Potter and his two friends (whatever they're called), becomes my friend, I will never, ever be THE person to be around. Unless, I do... I donno, kill Volde if he rises again? Then maybe. Not sure. 50/50.

In short, I'm socially screwed.

(Oh my god is that hell freezing over? Has Emily finally comes terms to what she is?!)

Not surprisingly, the pranks/glares/acting like I've got an touch-me-and-die-in-7-days disease (excuse me, I'm a natural blond and my hair is not that long!) /tripping/acting like an all round idiots increased. And, not surprisingly, I ignored them all.

The night before we went home for the year when I was being a bi - not a nice girl once in my lifetime and taking up as much space as possible one night in the common room. Everyone was glaring at me, and I nearly flipped off the next person I caught glaring at me. A bushy brown girl gave a huff and stormed over to me.

"Excuse me." she snapped and put her hands on her hips. Oh yeah, by the way, I was reading a seriously thick muggle book called Trickster (2 books in 1!) by Tamora Pierce and my massive head phones curled around my neck playing music at a volume that is loud enough you can't hear the lyrics just the sound track to the closet person if you don't count bushy hair. I can't remember if I told you this before but other Aussies had invented a spell that can make technology work in places like Hogwarts. My theory is that there's a invisible sphere around it where it forces the magic out, not allowing a whisp of it inside the sphere. I had no drive to test the theory, as my parents would kill me destroying my headphones or phone and I would have to pay from my almost empty vault (Around $2 000 please!).

"Sup?" I kept reading; my automatic reply did not mean I was listening to you. The chick was rambling on and on. It was quite annoying and I couldn't exactly read my book peacefully. I had been trying to read it AND actually remember it. The way it was written was so _weird_ that I could read a whole chapter before I relized the words was like Tiani's taunting; water flowing around me like a rock in a rushing river.

"Are you even listening to me?" she scowled when I made no move to do so. She lundged for my book but living in a book loving family who fights over who gets to read a new book that came out yesterday (Go Brotherband!) kinda makes you form an instinct. Trickster jerked away from the bossy bi...girl. She toppled over and ended up face planting my tummy.

"Whadda want?" I sighed, resting the bottom of my book on my forehead, staring at the brown haired girl.

"_I said,_" she growled, face slightly red, "You can't have music playing at Hogwarts outside of dorms and you can't lie around like that. You certaintly can't have muggle technology."

"Objection!" I shouted, my hand flying up into the air like I was trying to answer a question for a teacher. Hermione narrowed her eyes, daring for me to continue. My hand curld into a fist before realeasing my pointy finger (index if you don't know what I meant) into the air. "The rules clearly only state that _wizard_ music cannot be played. I am playing muggle. Wizard music is so ugly; they're all screamo and almost heavy metal. Idiots." Bushy opened her mouth again.

"Secondly!" I continued loudly, drawing my middle/rude finger next to my pointy finger. I noticed then everyone was eavesdropping horribly. Come on, I was the only one speaking! "The rules state that on the last day of the school year you can play music anywhere. They also only say that you mind other people." Another finger.

"Lastly, I can bring techology into the school because there is no rule explaining you can't. Since everyone knows that the magic would fry technology, teachers just didn't bother forming a rule. It's kinda like swimming in the lake; it's so fu... Friggin' cold that at your muscles freeze up on contact, so the teachers didn't bother with a rule." silence. Smirking at the girl's fuming face, I drew my book back to rest on my stomach.

"How come your headphones and phone are working fine?" she snapped, trying to have the last word.

"Us Aussies have invented a spell that allows technology to work anywhere in the world like Hogwarts." The girl's jaw snapped open and closed - and do I dare say it - like a goldfish. "Would you like an ice pack with that?"

YES! My dream as come true! I used The Line in an appropriate situation! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA! I admit, using The Line is and now was a life long dream. Don't judge me; it's awesome.

I'm sure as soon I evacuated the common room (the girl - I need to get her name - kept on glaring at me long after the argument) some people wanted to high five me, but caught sight of something or someone behind me and drew away like I was a Stink Bomb seconds before exploding.

Around 12 hours later I was reading Artemis Fowl on the magical train home. Only, this time I was translating the code at the bottom of every page for fun; I had found the code translation in the fifth book and was determined to translate every book (books 2 and 3 did not have code sadly).

Taking a pause from the translation, I peered out the window, taking note of the fence that had implanted themselves into the landscape. The Hogwarts Express was chugging it's way closer to the muggles finally. My eyes focused on my reflection in the window and smirked at the light red hair that was quickly fading into blond again. My mum had made a deal with me; I would only get my hair dyed rainbow once the red faded. It did help I cast a weak de-dyeing like spell on my hair this morning (is de-dyeing even a word? Ah, whatever).

Untwisting my body, I faced the paper in front of me and continued to scribble in my some what messy writing until the train had pulled to a halt at King's Cross.

Off to Australia!

* * *

**A/N:**

3 year was just really a introduction to Emily's life. Next year I'm aiming for either the twins or the Golden Trio creep into her life slightly. Thank you for those who review, of course. Please recommend this to your friends or whatever, just like you would want your own story.

spnarayan: remember that Emily has had NO friends from Hogwarts - Tiani's a... Girl who sleeps around in the future, and there for picks on Emily because a) it's an anger release point for when boys (AKA the twins) turn her down/doesn't notice her and b) Emily's a social outcast. Does that clear it up?


	5. Fourth Year

**•Chapter V•**

**•Fourth Year•**

* * *

"So mum..." I whispered to the black haired, frecks worse than me, woman lounging in the wooden seat beside me. Tonight, the somewhat-silent two story house was hosting a meeting from dad's muggle 4 wheel drive club, and I had picked up some concerning information two days before my fourth year begins. "How will I get to Hogwarts?" mum's reaction spoke in volumes; she slammed her fist onto the table and made a chocking sound in place of a swear word.

"Um, you could ride to King's Cross?" mum suggested, fingers massaging her skull. Mum couldn't take me to the platform because she was needed over in Australia for teaching, and dad couldn't either because he was leaving tomorrow on a 4WD trip. I couldn't floo because the house was normally rented by muggles when we're not here and I really didn't fancy waking up at five and waiting hours for the train to arrive.

Another thing about me is I used to ride to school nearly every day, and developed a need to ride about once a month or so. Unfortunately at Hogwarts I couldn't meet my habit's demands and end up extremely energetic and (I guess) annoying to everyone around me.

"But where would I put it during school?" I pointed out. "There is no way I'm going to leave it to rust."

"Then take it with you. Your friend's parents could shrink it." mum shrugged.

"Uhhhh..." I was sweating like crazy inside, but I kept my face blank and nodded. "I'll see." Ha, like that will happen. Looks like I'll be dragging my bike around for the day.

The next few minutes or so was planning on the routine I was to take and any areas I should be extremely careful of, where traffic is extremely busy and black spots (where crash numbers are high). Mum assured me that my trunk would be shrunk with a time limit, and of course, my rainbow hair was to be done tomorrow. You can't forget that. Ever.

Once mum had drawn out the map, and everything we could think of was smoothed out, mum returned to the conversation, leaving me to memorize the map and watch for a chance to escape from this horrible meeting.

* * *

As I flew past the stop-and-go traffic to King's Cross, I could see and feel the stares and the pointing fingers.

Rainbow hair is AWESOME!

The chick that did my hair asked what was my favorite or most used hair style. Since I answered 'just with a head band', she put the dye in streaks so the colours blended into each other. Okay, so get a headband and put it on properly (meaning, pull the fringe back as well) and imagine that a rainbow was in my hair sideways so the colours ran parallel to my ears. I know, not a good description, but oh well.

Currently I was gliding past the slow movement of cars, vans and trucks in the bike lane(s). Everywhere I looked, muggles (and I think I could see a few wizards dressed in woman clothes) openly stared at my amazing hair. Just imagine the looks I'll get at Hogwarts and Platform 9 and three quarters alike. In my backpack was my shrunken trunk, with my robes, iPhone and headphones.

Several minutes later, I was strolling into King's Cross, advancing to the hidden gate way. Whispers broke out every where I went, either because of my hair, or the Akatsuki shirt I have on (yes I do like that manga). Since I refused to leave my bike to rust for a year, mum wrote to Dumbledore asking if I could take it with me. Of course, he agreed, saying bringing muggle objects to Hogwarts will do blah blah blah (something about pure-bloods).I don't have a pet by the way, so mum had to use the closest owl post, because, trust me buddy, it would _starve. _

All I needed to do was walk straight into the barrier. Why people run, I have no idea. Idiots, the lot of them. Since I wasn't running, I could see that I stepped into a black corridor. For those who've seen Howl's Moving Castle, think of it like when Sophie goes back into the past by going through the door frame part. If you have no clue what I mean, I'm guessing you've never heard of studio Ghibli nor watched it. You have lived a sad, sad life.

The blackness pressed against me slightly; any noise from either end was muffled and were burred like you were looking through tears. Slowly, slowly, my limbs moving annoyingly in slow motion, the front wheel of my road bike touched fresh air. The sweet and refreshing air of the outside washed over me and finally I was walking in my normal speed. Since it was only 8 in the morning, barely anyone interesting were lingering around the practically empty station.

Most of you probably don't do or watch road racing. Road cyclers have special shoes that 'clips' to the pedals. These help when going up hills; when one leg is pushing down, the other is pulling it up so you have a constant motion in both legs. It's pretty snazzy. Anyway, walking around in these shoes are_just a little _uncomfortable. Only a little. These are the only things I can take off; the tight fitting shirt and shorts fit for cycling will be taken off later. I just couldn't leave my baby out in the open where sweaty little paws could snatch her when my eyes are else where.

Sometime later, as time vanished when I was distracted by my iPhone and music, I looked up to see a brightly blond boy looking to be three years younger than me glaring at me. Behind him, Mr Malfoy, looked almost the same with a few key differences; longer hair, and much more powerful figure. Youngster's mother was not to be seen.

Their lips curled at the sight of my baby and my children. I almost glared back, but I do actually want a future, thank you very much. Instead, I returned to my -ahem - very 18+ story. Don't worry, I've been reading these since I was 11 (my sister started around 10).

Slowly but surely the station filled up. Soon it was a claustrophobia's nightmare, through thankfully I was not. However since I was younger my memories all screamed 'be polite.' Now, I slightly wished mum and dad weren't so polite... here I was, for friggin 30 minutes waited for a empty space I could maneuver my baby and I through the masses of adults, children and animals alike. Giving up 10 minutes to 11, lifting my practically weightless bike above my head certainly made a somewhat path.

Shouting "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY" is a good option, but I settled for "COMING THROUGH!" It worked. Slightly. Gave me dirty looks, but oh well. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice.

While the helpers de-shrunk my trunk, a shout drew my attention. The station had emptied somewhat so you could actually breath now, since it was almost eleven. However the helper offered my trunk (I needed to get something out of there before I let it onto the train) and I ignored the shout. How did I know it was for me? Well it was kinda like this;

"RAINBOW HAIR GIRL! Oh, excuse me, sorry, um, HEY!"

I don't think he was calling for me. Do you? Must be your imagination.

While I was clawing through my trunk, making sure not to show any private clothes (not that I would've cared) I spied out of the corner of my eye a hoard of red hairs rushing to me. The father, Mr Weasley, was the one that was calling out to me. The rest of the Weasley family, excluding the bushy haired girl I burnt last year, was staring at my baby like it was URO (unidentified riding object).

"Yes?" I reply politely.

"What do you call this muggle item?" Mr Weasley inquired as his family gave their trunks to the helpers. His eyes sparkled as he crouched down to my level, inspecting my baby.

"It's a road bike." I explain. "See how thin the wheels are? That's so you go fast as you can. But this bike are for roads because of that. There are other bikes that have thicker tyres; they're for mountains and dirt roads." I pull out the object I'm searching for; a book that was too heavy and thick for a road bike ride. As soon as I took _Spellmaking for the Elite. _It is roughly 30cmx30cmx15cm (Hight x Width x Depth) the bushy haired girl's eyes lit up at the sight of it. As I packed everything back to where it belong before hand and answering Mr Weasley's questions about my baby, the children of the Weasley family hugged their mother goodbye.

"Mom, get off me!" Trinny? Winny? Ginny struggled to get out of her mother's hug.

"Mom..." I chuckled, and whispered the american version again before laughing.

"What's so funny?" Mr Weasley asked, eye brows raised.

"Oh, I'm Australian. Its just 'mom' is not how I say it." I really should have heard it enough for it to get old but some things don't. By then we really, really had to get on the train so I waved Mr and Mrs Weasley and the helper goodbye and rushed into the carriages with one hand guiding my bike and the other struggling to hold my book under my armpit.

* * *

**A/N:**

At first it continued on, but then I realized that maybe my readers would want the next chapter...

_sigh_... I'm glad I don't have a weekly/monthly plan. It just wouldn't happen.


	6. Theodore

**WARNING: not sure if this has happened before, but Emily swears. So do other people. Do you really think that no one in Hogwarts swears?**

The first thing I notice is when I walk into my normal room is: _there's two beds._

Oh. A transfer.

Transfer from another school (or possibly home) isn't rare, but at the same time isn't common. Reasons why they do move is simple; death of close relative, difficult living conditions, or maybe the parents just want a different view from home. There is about a transfer per year level over the 7 years that one age group is here.

Transfers are put into houses by private sorting. Mostly to not confuse the first years of a super tall student also walking among them. Transfers sort of... appear. They're not there one year and one day they are. They mostly have no problem making friends because they mingle with the people they room with and spread out from there.

But why is the transfer here? I know for a fact Tiani and Shay's room has room, guessing by the time they forced me into their room to try to make me help them set up an event to make them the stars of the Twin's attention. I make sure to turn away and stalk out, and punched them in the stomach a few times when they tried to put jinxes and curses on me, but enough of that.

This time I don't bother throwing my clothes out in the orderly mess from past years. I need to talk to the new student. Strolling out of my room I lounge against the door and watch as a Filipino boy with more limbs than body cautiously watch the steps up to the girls side.

"Hello," I climb down the stairs "the boy dorms are behind you,"

"I know," he sighs worriedly with a Russian accent, immediately crossing his arms that are skinny as sticks when I speak "I've already checked. My trunk isn't there."

"Any identifying features? I've got a new bed in my room. You can come up to check." I motion my hand back to me, already climbing the stairs again. Uncertain steps follow me.

We duck (well he certainly does) into my room and he rushes over to his trunk.

"Yes," he smiles back at me, "this is it. Thank you."

"You know," I mildly remark "only girls are allowed beyond those stairs. Are you a transwoman? It's cool; I don't care what you are. I don't even know my sexuality. That certainly confused Tiani when I said that."

The Filipino turns back to me from trying to drag his chest from the bottom of the bed, which wasn't moving anyway, and actually gives my remark a thought.

"I," he starts, sits back, staring out the window "don't know."

"You can be transnothing. I think I'm asexual. You go have your gender think out and I'll go have a shower."

Moments later, leaning on the grey-white marble of the bathroom, I realise that I had no clothes with me (like I usually do, because there is usually _nobody in my room). _It was more like 'and I'll go have a freak out of someone invading my carefully built iron walls.'

I know that I put on a show that I'm okay with being a loner. Certainly, my grades have never been better with all the free time. I've certainly talked to myself about things I find funny or weird or annoying.

But - this transfer student. I can see why Hogwarts put him with me. Tiani made a big show of alienating me after I announced I didn't know my sexuality. All the other girls left me alone after I fangirled about Supernatural and other muggle entertainment they didn't know of (one even asked me what a 'Tee-vee' was). Because I was _different;_ because I liked the _unknown_; because I didn't fix myself, I'm alone.

Transfer student doesn't know his (or her or it's) gender. The whole school would hate him/her/it because he/she/it didn't fit in the identification system that everyone has. They are all dick heads and will alienate him/her/it for it. I, Emily, will gladly be his/her/it's friend even if it brings him down to a far worse level of unpopular.

I watch as the soap bubbles drain out of the tub as I dry myself with a gold and red towel and face my choices; go out there naked and make it awkward or go out there and make it clear I don't care what he/she/it picks.

"Mate, mind if you tell me your name before I go out there naked? I'm Emily." I say as I open the door a little bit.

"_What? _Oh, um, Theodor." the guy (I'm so confused I don't know what word to use) whips his head away as the door I'm leaning on opens more. I easily make my way to my trunk and plunk down heavily on the floor with a loud thud. "Are - are you okay?"

"Yeah fine," I say back, unlocking the trunk without really thinking about it "not really used to a person in my room. Normally on my own, you know, because everyone hates me."

It's long after I've shut down my laptop and flopped onto the top of my bed that Theodor speaks up.

"I don't think I'm a guy." he announces "but I think I'm a girl."

"Cool," I say, but inside I'm cheering because I just met a person who've I've always wanted to meet just for the hell of it "what should I call you?"

"Theo is fine."

"Night Theo."

"Goodnight to you Emily."

School will be more interesting from now on, maybe a little more better.

[x]

"L-U-C-K-Y S-E-V-E-N lucky seven lucky seven lu-cky se-v_en!" _

Theo stolls silently beside me as I twist my head side to side to the beat of AKB48, rainbow hair flicking at the edges of my vision. Sometimes I cannot get over that mum let me do this.

"Wait," I pause in my walk to wherever. "It's potions right?"

"No," Theo quietly corrects. She's very silent, choosing to let me sing along with my songs rather than demand a conversation. "We have Transfiguration."

"_Right._" I click my fingers and twist around to walk backwards while talking to Theo. "I'd be lost without you. WITH OR WITHOUT OUT YOU OHHH ohhhh I CAN'T LIVEEEEE-"

The reason why I burst out into singing or ignore the people around me is to make Theo smile. It's not 'love' or anything stupid people automatically assume, but if I'm going to have Theo as a friend, then my automatic response is to make her smile. I always try to make people smile. I act stupid. I act punny. I act like myself. Making people smile is almost my life goal. It's wonderful to see people smile because of what _I've_ done. It's magical. It's amazing.

Making the quiet, the loud, the angry, the cold smile is one of the few things I'm glad to do. Theo loves to listen me burst out randomly in songs that match what was currently said. It was one of the first things I found out about her beyond that she's most likely a female.

Theo has made progress. She's wearing one of the skirts that the robe shop automatically tailors for girls, magically bigger. It isn't the ridiculously short skirts I see nearly every girl where or the boy pants I requested, but a skirt that reaches down to her ankles (now that took some time to do) and adopted the gender-neutral white undershirt and a black long sleeve that all students wear.

I have the thick overcoat over it all, not used to the cold atmosphere of Scotland. Unlike the rest of the student population, I wear it all the time, not just in the times when they go outside for a long period of time. I have yet to find another person who does the same.

"Where do we go for the class?" Theo calls, clenching the long skirt in her fists as another group of staring girls watched her as we move on. I turn my hand over so the black writing of our new classrooms stare back from the top of my hand.

"Somewhere on the 7th floor, possibly past the dancing trolls and before the ceiling-to-floor portrait of King William the First. Quiet impressive, I tell you. Nice chap to talk with but a little hard to understand with the thick French accent and old English words." I wave to Madame Soi, a famous French witch as I pass her and pause to bow respectively to Emperor Meiji (whom both gave a blink and a head nod back) and continue on, flicking out my overcoat out like a superhero and running down the hall with it billowing out the back of me. I stop before the corner and turn back to Theo. With her ridiculously long legs and huge strides she's not far behind despite my running.

"Come on try it it's _soooo funnnnn_." I drop my voice into a lower tune at the last two words and tug on Theo's hand. I nearly have to reach up to do it, if she wasn't built like Slender Man. I shit you not, Theo is as tall as Slender Man and her limbs are just as nearly as long. The down side to all this height is she towers over all the other boys and girls, everything about her is skinny as a stick and her hair, a deep black, is weedy and thin, not long enough yet to go anywhere but sit on her head. "You should wear a overcoat too!"

"It's too hot yet," she protests. "You may think it's 'fucking cold' due to living in Australia, but I used to live in North Russia." I squint jokingly at Theo and cross my arms like I don't trust her before abruptly dropping the facade and moving on.

"Hey, Freak!" Tiani called, standing in front of the door. Nobody else was in sight. I sigh and check the time on my phone and see that I'm late. The rest of the class was probably inside.

"Could you please stop calling me that?" I request, stopping in front of her. "In fact, could you please stop bullying me? I'm sick and tired of it and not afraid to go to the teachers."

"Yeah, like a chicken like you could do it." she snorts and pulls out her wand. "_Locomotor Wibbly._"

"_Protego." _I say and the poorly cast jelly-legs spell bounces off the silver shields. A small star burst exploded from where the sickly-yellow light hits my shield. "Could you please let us through? We're all late for class." Tiani screws up her face and I know that without me, she would've been the Rotten Egg again.

"Hey, Theodor," she starts, turning to the silent Russian-Filipino. "Why do you bother hanging out with this freak? Why don't you hang out with me, the popular kid?"

"Like the fuck you're popular. Everyone thinks your a slut and boys only hang out with you just to sleep with you in the future." I correct from the side, stalking over to Theo's side. As if I'm gonna let her go through this on her own.

"Shut up rainbow freak! You think you're gonna be cool with that hair? I bet it's just cheap version of _colovaria_ and can be gone with a simple _finite incantatem!_" I let the spell hit me, feeling the rather strong spell wash over my hair. Tiani blinked in shock when my hair didn't change.

"I used muggle dye, you _baka_." I snap and tug on Theo's sleeve to the door. Tiani wastes no time in rushing to the door to get to it first, slamming the door in a big show, pushing her bar upwards with her other arm. "I don't get why she's here in the first place."

"Her clothes say that her family is powerful and has a lot of money." Theo quietly says and I stand on tippy toe to understand what she's saying. "Her make-up and other products say so too."

"Miss Skeates, Miss Holave, Mr de Asis," Mrs McGonagall snaps, one hand on her hip and and the other occupied by her wand writing on the blackboard.

"Excuse me Mrs," I say loudly, looking her into her eye "Theo is a female, thank you very much." Mrs McGonagall simply sighs and nods her mistake.

"Miss de Asis, yes, I'm sorry, please take a seat. You're all late." She turns back to the chalkboard and immediately I hear the smelling curse incantation, and ready my wand. I made sure to step in last behind Theo just so she doesn't have to face the problems of being the Rotten Egg.

I'm assaulted by the smell of off food and tell-tale smell of dragon and other mythical animals' poop filling the corners of my nose from every angle and tears sprang from my eyes as the terrible stench attack all my receptors. I swish my wand over my body and the nice smell of deodorant covers the nasty smell.

I surveyed the scowls all my classmates as they realised what I did. Theo nudges me over to the front line, composed of four empty seats. She takes the one on the far left, taking out her parchment and quill, slowly copying the lines down with elegant writing and so many loops in every single letter. I could never get to that level of calligraphy. Taking the seat next to him, I look around and realise why everything is so quiet; there's no Twins.

Fuck, and the last two seats are next to me. As if one cue, the door opened and thundering laughter entered the classroom.

"Mr and Mr Weasley. I was wondering when you two were finished torturing some poor soul. Come in _quietly_ and sit down." Mrs McGonagall sharply turns towards them, and eyes them warily as they clamber through the lines of seats and desks to slouch in the seats next to me. All I can say? Rangas.

"Hey," the one next to me whispers, leaning in to my ear. Fred, or George, has to sit up since I refuse to develop a slouch in my position. They normally curl over their parchment and do nothing but whisper to each other. "Do you want to help us in a prank?"

"No." I snap and aggressively take out my pacer (sorry, mechanical pencil) to scribble down the words that have been up for more than 5 minutes. "Go ask your fucking fans to do it."

"Fans?" he murmurs, but leaves me alone. Theo nudges me and give me a glancing questioning look. Do I ever act like this? Probably not; they're the ones who make my bully escalate every time they speak to me.

"Who are they?" she asks and I take a few seconds to turn my answer over in my head.

"Fred and George Weasley. The Terror Twins. The master pranksters of the school. They love to pull pranks on everyone and everything and conveniently not realising that they're _the _most popular students in the whole school, including Slytherin. Every time they speak to someone popular, even vaguely, they shoot up the social ladder. Speak to a freak like me, I get bullied for daring to touch the untouchable." I glance up to the board and write down it all without glancing down to see if I've written it. "Tiani is hoping to be the _best_ friend for _eva _and _eva._" Theo raises her eyebrow at the childish voice.

"Oh. Okay." she eyes my pacer and exercise book curiously. "What are those?"

"Muggle items. Both of my parents are muggle born so I've got extensive knowledge of the muggle world. I half leave the magical world when I'm not in Hogwarts."

"That's really cool!" Theo smiles at me, picking up a pen that had rolled out of my Smiggle pencil case. "I've always wanted to learn about muggles, except everyone who vaguely did didn't do it in a way that portrayed them like they actually are, I think."

"Miss Holave and de Asis," Mrs' sharp voice cuts across our conversation and I sheepishly return to copying down the words on the board.

(Halfway through handing out caged King Butterflies, to be turned into Ulysses butterflies as the unit was cross-species switches for the whole year, the twins accepted their butterflies and eyed me the whole time. They probably heard what I said. Good. They should've. All I do is give a smirk at them when they raise their eyebrows.)

The last person to hand out a butterfly was Tiani. She glared at the cage like my touch had put something toxic all over it.

"_You'll pay for speaking to the twins."_She whips out her hand to crush my wrist in her palm when I try to walk away. "_They're mine, and you turning down their offer? You'll regret it; I'll make sure."_

I simply roll my eyes and apply the deodorant spell again when several people try to recast it.

This year it was far more nasty than I've seen. Enough is enough. This Rotten Egg needs to stop. I'm sure that my lack of caring that I'm a dibber-dobber will make hell for Tiani and her friends.


	7. Holy Flying Batman

_Hey mum,_

_I guess it's time to be truthful._

_I have no friends. Never had friends since I stepped into Hogwarts. Please don't start crying and come to Hogwarts to rip the teachers one like you did in year 5. It's okay. I have a friend now; her name is Theo. _

_Theo is actually a guy, but rather wants to be identified as a girl. There was a little bit of a crisis when she came in because she knew that she wanted to be a girl, but didn't like the idea of short skirts and showing cleavage. Two days ago she confessed that watching me walk around in my three-sizes two big shirt and the army pants made her realise what an idiot she had been. Theo is amazing. She doesn't care that I sometimes ignore her in favour of listening to my music but after being alone for so long it's hard to forget that she's there._

Sighing, I clench my head in my hands and growl softly to myself and the letter. This letter just won't go the way I want! Once again, I continuously ripped the page into smaller and smaller pieces, finally dumping them in the Common Room bin on the way out.

I had to tell mummy about my recent lack of friends some day. Now that I had Theo, it was a good chance to tell her with a reason why it was fine. Maybe I could try it on email? I always seem to write my essays on my laptop far faster and with more ease (the teachers are so confused to why my writing looks so stiff and neat without any need for lines).

"Trying to tell your family about me again?" Theo softly says as she squeezes in between the seats, the Great Hall wonderfully empty as it was long past dinner time. Dumbledore always had a table set up for those who didn't know where the kitchen was and didn't want to attend dinner with everyone else.

"Yeah. But first I gotta tell 'em about my lack of friends before." Theo tilts her head questioningly. "I told them once before. Mum came storming into my muggle school and actually cried her eyes out. I don't want her to worry again."

"That's really nice of you. My mum worries to much about work to bother with family. It's the usual pure-blood mummy/daddy problems." Theo sighs along with me, picking out a chicken wing from the plates. We sat there, silently eating our meals, my music softly playing out of my ear phones. They were loud enough for both of us to hear it, after I found out that Theo was interested in muggle music and liked it.

Loud pitter-patterings echoed outside of the Great Hall. Both Theo and I turned and watched in astonishment as the Twins strolled in, things floating around them. They halted when they saw us and shrugged, eventually joining us when they reached the left over table.

"Hey," they both said.

"Do you," the left one said, leaning in like it was a big secret.

"mind if," the right one joins in, tilting his upper body to the same degree as his twin.

"we set up,"

"a prank."

"Nope. Don't come complaining to me when they ask if you did it. I won't say anything until they ask me." I reply and much loudly on crackling. My right hand dropped to my phone on the table to raise the volume. "Oh hey it's Budapest, the song that you like Theo."

"It is very nice," she says after the twins watch my headphones spurt out tunes they have never heard off.

"Isn't that muggle techoligeeee?" the left one, which I am branding Fred, points to my neck where they were resting.

"Yes, it is muggle _technology._"

"I thought they weren't supposed to work in places like Hogwarts." the right one, George continues, frowning in sync with his twin.

"You thought correct." I take a moment to chew on another piece of crackling. Just as Fred opened his mouth again, I continued. "Wizards in Australia have come up with a spell that, I think, 'pushes' magic from the anchor, or in this case, the headphones. Luckily Wi-Fi still works."

"You're Australian?" George prods, a look of surprise on his face.

"Then again, that accent."

"Yeah, you pommies beta git on with yer prank." I say, layering it on thick. Really, the only Aussies who speak like that... now that I think about it, everyone does. I just forget that's how you write it. But if that was normal speaking, then the extra-thick accent musta sounded worse...

Theo cracked up, well, her version of cracking up which was a light giggle.

"Wa? You fuckers thin' I gives any shits 'bout wa you thin-_k_?" I continue, happy that I have found something else that cracks up Theo. "Now jus' wai' a tick, you pommies thin' I'm speakin' weird now, just wai' til I try ta copy you." Theo's laughter is contagious. The twins start to grin along with her.

I adopt a poorly-done British accent. "You _all _sound like you've got a _plum_ in your _mouth_. Oh tally ho chaps, look how _wonderful _this tea tastes. I simply _must_ try some _more._" I couldn't hold it in anymore and join in with Theo, with a louder, less controlled laugh.

"Don't you guys say 'mate' and 'fair dinkum'?" George asks, picking a grape off the table.

"Only the _really_ old farts say that. Due to social media, most people just drop th Us and mush two words together. I sometimes say wuzzup and yo, which is from America. All thanks to the internet." I mock raise my goblet to the air. "To the internet." Theo loyally toasts. I have taught her well.

"What the internet?" Fred asks, picking out another grape. Wait, didn't George do that?

"Do I need to start my own Muggle Studies for fuck's sake? I chat about my iPhone to year 7s who've taken that class since year three and _they have no idea._" I wiggle my phone at the twins and they have the usual 'wtf' look.

"They just don't understand the pure awesomeness of muggles and instead teach things muggles understand when they're 10 years old." Theo recites. I point to her and grin.

"I've already thought it, but this time I'll say it. I have taught you well." I beam at her and she shyly returns the smile.

"Maybe you-"

"Should start-"

"Up a muggle-"

"studies club."

"That would-"

"Help with-"

"The bullies."

Silence is met with the twins claim. Something broke inside me and all I could feel was anger towards the two. I open my mouth to unleash my anger -

"Excuse me," Theo quietly snaps, cold anger brimming to the top. "You know _nothing _about popularity. It's handed to you on a golden platter, yet people like Emily have to continuously hold her own against the downright inhumane comments thrown at her everyday. You get everything without having to fight for it; you get to be yourself and do the things you want to do without people commenting on it. If either of us to that hateful comments come everywhere and terrible things are done to us. Bags ripped, jinxes thrown at us everyday, dorms wrecked if we forget to put up shields.

"If you fuckers think we're overreacting, try being in Emily's place for once." Theo whips out her wand and sends identical spells smack bang into their chests. To my horror, they slumped forward to the table, out cold.

"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE WE DONE HOLY SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK!" I scream my head off crawl over the table without a care that my robes were dragging through gravy and sauces. "Holy flying batman poop. They're out. I solemnly swear that it was entirely their fault and the fact that their ignorance fueled our outburst."

"I'm so sorry!" Theo dumps their goblets on top of their heads but it has no effect. "It's a family spell. We've been called Dark Wizards a lot so my great-great-whatever-mother made a spell for the targets to go through someone's eyes. One day in their dreams equal a day out here."

"It's okay. Best friends help each other hide bodies." I hold out my fist to Theo and she cautiously bumps it. "I know a place! We can just say they're setting up a prank all day tomorrow and can't go to class."

"But then the whole school will be expecting a prank after they wake up. It'll take a day to make a day-worthy prank." Theo argues. "We have to tell the teachers."

"_Fuck no. _We can do the prank as well. Just, in between classes. Now help me with all their stuff... _Wingardium Leviosa._" I wave my wand absentmindedly, more focusing on the fact the twin's bodys (ohh, look, I'm already acting like they're dead) are lying on the table, face first into a open pie. I pulled Fred (at least I think it was) out of his pie and nearly burst out laughing when I see the apple cinnamon clinging to his face. The moment was too funny to pass, but the situation was too heavy to laugh. I took a photo instead with my iPhone to laugh at later. I made sure to get George's face as well.

"We can't tell the teachers because they'll want to know why we made them 'have a day in our shoes' and this bullying problem won't go away if the teachers meddle in it. We have to end it." I sigh as the possible outcomes come crashing out. Hopefully we could get a positive one.

Theo had George over her should and I had Fred. Our wands were both holding their pranks items, slowly making our way to the second tallest tower in Hogwarts; one startlingly close to the Headmaster's office. I wonder if he has any hocus-pocus that'll tell him if any life forms was near his office.

Nah. I've been reading way too much Naruto.

"Where are we going?" Theo asks as we start to ascend the stairs.

"In my second year the bullies start to favor using the Rotten Egg spell on me more, sometimes right in a teacher's eyes. Mr Flitwick hadn't taught the nice smelling spell yet so I was running from the bullies and found this. I stopped using it when I found the shield spell in the library." I step into the small circle room right at the top of the tower. Gently I place the twin's prank items on the floor and turn to face the window overlooking the grey roof tops of Hogwarts, wand pointing at the window.

"Fuckity fuckity fuck fuck fuck." I declare and under the panes the stone melted away to show staircases going up. "I love magic."

"What's with the password?" Theo asks as she follow me up the stairs again.

"That was the first thing I said when I pointed my wand at it, ready to fight the bullies chasing me." I take a dramatic leap over two false steps and drew my wand down the dead end of more cobblestones. "Hogwarts felt my fear and created a new room, just for me."

"Hogwarts is amazing. This would never happen in my old school in Russia." Theo comments softly as a reddish wooden door appears over the cobblestones. When I open it, all it is a cylinder room with a single bed squished inside.

I dump Fred on the bed, having to lean forward so he could roll of my shoulder. Once Theo closed the door I rolled off Fred (or George) and lean down to pick up a headband.

"Oh hey that's where it went!" This headband had been a present from my sister; it had huge golden bows to replicate the Haruhi Suzumiya look. Several dark looks were sent my way whenever I wore it. Taking off the plain maroon band, I replace it. "So, what shall we do?"

"Well, you said it yourself." Theo says as she takes the only set and offers it to me. I send her a dry look and lounge on the end of the bed. "Your idea wasn't so bad. I mean, apart from the fact we're keeping them all this from the teachers."

"Don't think about it. Don't talk about it. We'll just ignore it. Let's just say... we just want to prank the whole school to lighten up our everyday lives." I pointingly turn away from the sleeping twins so they were out of sight.

"Yes. Completely. Just a change of heart." Theo nods along and the legs of the chair scrape as it's dragged around to face away from the twins. She pauses and looks back at me anyway. "I cannot believe this is happening."

"Jesus fuck, all I can think of is my parents hearing of this! Fuck the school and students, _my parents..._ I want to keep my iPhone and laptop, thank you very much." I huff and turn away. Two shoes enter my vision and I snap back to facing away.

Theo starts to laugh. It's certainly a 'omg WHATTTT THE FLYING FUCK' laugh, too forced and hysterical to be called a normal laugh. I join in, almost crying.

"OH MY GOD -"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE-"

"MOTHERFUCKING HELL-"

"IT'S THE TERROR TWINS."

"WE DID IT TO THE TERROR TWINS."

"AND IT'S NOT EVEN THREE MONTHS INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR."

"I KNOW RIGHT?"

"HOLY SHIT."

"I'M FREAKING OUT AND ALL I CAN DO IT LAUGH."

"WHAT IF PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE FINDS OUT?"

"WHAT IF MRS MCGONAGALL FINDS OUT?"

"WHAT ABOUT PROFESSOR SNAPE?"

"Nah, I think he'll be secretly glad." Theo paused and thought about.

"He really does hate them both."

We pause, and let the silence creep in.

"HOLY SHIT."

"OH MY FUCKING GOD."

[()]

Notes: ta-da! We're getting to the complication! No, romance isn't the main focus here.

I had to leave it there, it was so funny.


	8. Their marvelous prank

**Wow, I've had such a slammin' motivation for this story in the last day! I've written the last three chapters in a snap! Thank you X-mas holidays! And thank you for reading! Omg! Exclamation mark! Shift+1! Why do I end my sentences with one!**

[()]

We couldn't sleep.

We forced ourselves not to.

Fred, to Theo's discovery, was living through the worst moments of bully I'd experienced. George was living through Theo's worst moments, also including from her old school. In total, the whole time would add up to one day, as that was the maximum the spell could stretch to (and did Theo throw all her magic into it).

We gave ourselves the night to come up with a prank and start to execute during class tomorrow. Not only did we have to make it hidden to all the teachers, but we had to make it Terror Twin-worthy. Did I mention I've never pulled a prank before?

"How about puns?" I pick up my pacer and began to scribble down my idea. "Everyone but me hates them."

"Should we do one massive prank or small continuous pranks staged over the whole day?" Theo interjects, picking up my spare pacer and writing that at the top. Pausing, I reluctantly circle the _one massive prank _in frustrated, deep scratches. "Yeah, if it was continuous then they'd do it every day. Skipping out from class for a whole _day_ means that it'd have to be a prank like they've never done before."

"So branching out from the puns... I think I could expand from there. What did the twins have when they came into the Great Hall?"

"A scroll, a quill, a year 5 Charms book, several feathers and glittery stuff. Pompoms, an ink pot, lots of ink pots, marbles, I think, 100's &amp; 1,000's, bags of plastic balls of all colours. I don't know what they were going to do with this." Theo sat back, staring at the items lying out in front of her. I stared at the scroll, quill and loads of ink.

"Theo," I whisper, tugging on her sleeve so she could look back at the paper on my desk. "I think I have an idea..."

[x]

It was fucking scary running through a dark and spooky Hogwarts, lights to low as only ghosts travelled along here. Thankfully I had a catnip spell that would distract Mrs Norris and a mild confusion charm for Argus Filch. The ghost were a lost case; all we could do was hope to hell that they weren't hanging around the Great Hall and the path from our dorms to the Great Hall.

During the whole night, I had to learn several spells. One was to track all humanoid lifeforms in the castle, another to conjuration parchment and enough quills for a lifetime or 10,000. A few more to make the quill and paper immune to everything I could think of. And in the nick of time, I found a spell to make the quills always be coated in ink.

Theo worked on making more feathers, glitter and balls out of thin air and wrapping them up in special space-time bag things that would open and let the contents flow out for so-so seconds in certain conditions. We knew that we had to continuously refill them and made two small bags to pour the extra pieces later throughout the day.

Time ran out on the first night. Although the Terror Twins got knocked out around 10pm, we were only half ready when the sun rose and the teachers began to awaken. When we realised this, we had to take down the half-done prank so it wouldn't go off a day too early.

Just as we exited the Great Hall, we could hear talking coming from the grand carved doors. My heart beated furiously in my chest as pure terror ran throughout every nerve in my body. Seconds later we made it back to our dorms in one piece, exchanging extremely tried looks as we got ready for the new day.

Theo looked like shit. We didn't care about our appearances, appearing in class exactly like we woke up. Add this to the lack of sleep and the night of absolute fear made her look like a zombie. I'm pretty darn sure I'm not much better.

"Has anyone seen the Twins?" Mrs McGonagall worriedly asks the class 20 minutes into it. Releasing the spell I had cast since I entered, a small voice up the back, right in the middle of Tiani's huddled group, shouted _I think they're skipping out to do a prank!_

Mrs McGonagall frowns worriedly and presses her lips together unimpressed.

"Yes, that seems like them. Carry on class, don't worry about them." she takes her seat once more at her desk. Theo turns to me, a little white around her lips. I glanced down at my hands which were shaking so badly they rattled the desk.

"_I cannot get over this."_ she whispers and turns her wand on the toad in front of her.

Let's just say that our results were not... explanatory.

Halfway through lunch I sat stiff as a board at the table, not caring about the dark look of my appearance (and my headband) at the Great Hall during the rush hour. Theo stared back at me on the other side of the table. We ate, but not much, our stomach not accepting anything.

"Miss Holave and de Asis," Mr Dumbledore _kindly_ appears out of nowhere beside us. I nearly broke my hand when I jumped.

"Oh hello, hehehe." I mutter, eyes wide as I thought that they'd caught us. "Hey Mister Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore, hello." Theo repeats, far more calmly.

"Now, can you tell me what's gotten you so worked up?" he puts a hand on my shoulder and I fight to not flinch.

"Oh, the Terror Twins, h-haven't been seen in ages, ya' know, and we're scared shhiii-zzzless about what they'll do. Imagine if they're gone the whole day. I probably won't be present if they don't show up." I mimic throwing up. The girl nearest me shuffles down the seats. Theo nods along with what I say, smiling strangely.

"I'm sure that whatever they're going won't be as bad as you think it is." he gives me a pitying look and wonders off. I return my eyes to Theo and screams at her in my head _OH MY GODDDDD I THOUGHT WE WERE CAUGHT_. I could almost understand what Theo was saying through her eyes, but it was most likely luck. _HOLY FLYING BATMAN._

[x]

As the day wore on, our paranoia increased with every second, and it certainly showed on our faces. The teachers were warned about our fear during lunch, it seems, as all the teachers asked if we wanted to sit out. At first I stubbornly stayed in class, but in the last two periods I took advantage and sat out.

The last subject I had was spell theory, a subject Theo did not have at her old school and therefore could not do it in Hogwarts. Instead she did Care of Magical Creatures, outside no matter what weather. So when the last bell rung, I raced out to the grounds and together we ventured back up in my cubby hole.

Before we left to start preparing for "their" prank, we'd stripped them off their shoes and outer layers just so it could possibly be a bit comfortable. The first thing I saw when I opened the door just a crack to see if they were awake was their holy socks (as in, holes). A little wider, and I discovered they were still asleep.

"They're still out like a light." I wonder up to one of them and poke them in the cheek. His head rolled over to the other side. I tripped over my feet to get away. "ARGHHH I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm - oh, he isn't attacking me."

"What that mark on his eyebrow?" Theo leans in and points at a little scar only visible if you look for it; scoring through the tip of his right eyebrow a little pale line of shiny dead skin sat. "Wait, I've seen it before."

"Oh my god, he's gotten my scar from Shay," I breathe, terrified. I remember that day. Shay was looking for me to bully me, for whatever reason. She shot a spell at me, and I had only began to learn the shield spell. Let's just say it was a little too weak. "Urghhh, this is terrible. He'll sue me, I'm sure. Somehow. In the most painfully way possible. Swear words cannot express this moment."

"You can try?" Theo offers, and I can see she's guilty as fuck for doing this. I quickly envelop Theo in a hug.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. I was about to blow my top too. Imagine if I shot a spell at them; I know a few bad ones from snooping around in the Ravenclaw common room that probably shouldn't be there in the first place." I whisper and tighten the hug. Her fake breasts press into my face and I can hear her quietly sobbing. "Do you think we would've been better with a medical amputation spell?"

A good thirty minutes later, just as began to relax and get comfortable in the hug, Theo wiggles and releases me too.

"Come on, we have to complete with prank. Emily," Theo sighs when I reply with a grunt and snuggle down. "_Emily. _Now is not the time to sleep."

"Perfect time for a nanna nap then." I grumble and whine when her lap slid out from under me, leaving me on the cold floor. "Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground. OHHH, ohhh, _ohhh_ oh. _Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground._" I snicker once I sing the Taylor Swift song and scramble up. I reach for my phone and set it on random. 4 Cords promptly starts up, the three guys starting their conversation.

"Let's get goin' then," I sigh and slink out of the room behind Theo.

[x]

7 hours.

_7 hours._

That's how long it was from the end of school and the time the twins got hit by the spell. 7 FUCKING hours of more worry and hair-tearing, heart-stopping dread of discovery. More than once we both had to return to the second tallest tower to check the twins to see if they were awake once more.

Mostly we duplicated paper, glitter, balls and feathers. We tested the prank on ourselves and ate little pieces from the dinner table as the night wore on.

Dinner was at 8pm, and the twins were forced asleep around 10. We couldn't make ourselves sit in the Great Hall for longer than that so we retreated to the tower, after a dash to the dorms to pick up my laptop.

The first hour I played the only game on there: Hatsune Miku Project Diva 2 (I think) but I kept getting cheap because my hands were shaking so much. The second hour I began to reread my favourite stories just in case I would never see them again. The last 30 minutes I typed out my will.

_To Emma,_

_I leave all my anime stuff; including but not limited to my pillows, posters, figures, jewellery, and all my odds and ends._

_To daddy,_

_I leave you all my technology things; including but not limited to laptop, phone, headphones,_

_To mummy,_

_I leave all my money._

_Plus; I gotta tell you this: I never had a friend from the moment I stepped into Hogwarts until the start of fourth year. Theo was my only friend since stepping into this magical school. Here's why; I refused to bow to peer pressure and acted like myself. Everyone hated that. They bullied me. Get the whole story from the Weasley Twins. That is, if they wake up._

_To Theo,_

_You were my best friend ever. Thank you so much._

"Thank you too Emily," Theo sighs next to my ear and I give out a small shriek, going dead still and then letting my head hit the bottom of my laptop loudly.

"Jesus fucking crust," I breathe out, uneven. "That scared me."

"Thank you anyway. You're my first true friend as well." Theo takes me into a hug. I've always been the one to start them - this is a massive improvement. Well, you'd expect it when you're so close to death.

"Time?" I reluctantly ask, sitting up from my belly to lean against Theo.

"10:03 pm." she whispers back, clenching my hand. She moans in distraught. "Oh merlin, what if I killed them... what if I forever put them asleep. What if I made them experience our whole life? They'd be asleep for fourteen years."

"Just - don't think about it." I pat our clasped hands with my free left hand. "Forget it. If they're dead, I'll help you hide the body. BFFs, right? Best friends forever and beyond death." I shudder to think how close my death was now.

"Oh my god," Theo whisper-screams "they're not waking up."

"Not your fault Theo-"

"They're dead, merlin-"

"No they're not, you can see them breathing-"

"Asleep? Dead? What's the difference?"

"We can take them back to your family can they can revive them, maybe?"

"They wouldn't care. Rather let me live with my choices."

"Well we could become hermits and just research spells forever until we can undo it?"

"Wouldn't they die from lack of food and water?"

"I volunteer to be the healer. Oooh! I'll be a doctor as well! We could escape to the muggle world!"

Theo gives me a glance, and I can see her seriously considering the loose comment.

"...I'm sure my parents can be very supportive...?"

"I'll empty my vault, convert them to muggle money and we can go live in Japan or South America..."

"What about learning to be a healer and doctor? That'll take _years_."

"I'm sure we'll cope. You're good at mastering complicated spells."

"Yeah, but what if they need _simple_ spells... you know I can't do those."

"I'll - they moved."

My headphones quietly filled in the space our argument left, playing _Live It Up_ in the background. I watched the closest twin - the one with my scar - and trembled as I watch his finger move.

"I think -" I lean over to Theo to whisper at a level I couldn't quiet hear.

"HEY THERE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

I _screamed. _Theo was screaming along with me and threw several spells at the white... glowing _thing_ halfway through the floor. It takes a second for the spells to die to find that it's Peeves.

"FUCK YOU PEEVES! DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS FUNNY? THE TWINS ARE POSSIBLY _DYING_ ON US AND YOU SUDDENLY DECIDE 'HEY, WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME TO SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF TWO FUCKING TERRIFIED STUDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY OUT OF THEIR MINDS -"

"Emily," Theo tugs on my sleeve and I pause to look at her, she motions with her head to the bed where I can see the twins staring at us with sleep caking the edges of their eyes. "They're alive." It takes a minute to sink in and I reef up Theo to swing her around the room like we were doing the Hokey Pokey.

"HALLELUJAH CHRISTMAS HAS COME EARLY! THE GOD OF ANIME AS ANSWERED MY PRAYERS! CASTIEL HAS BLESSED ME! JASHIN HAS HEARD MY SACRIFICES! SHERLOCK ATTENDED MY DEATH AND FOUND MY MURDERER! THE AVENGERS HAVE ASSEMBLED! I CAN DIE PEACEFULLY NOW!" I collapse on top of Theo on the bed. "Bless this day for Wolverine remembered that Sabretooth was his brother. The last movie of the last stage of the MCU was released. Deadpool was in a Spiderman movie. Destiel has finally become canon."

"Is she okay?" one of the twins ask, Peeves hanging behind him, looking down.

"Yeah - yeah. Ju-just fine. Oh _Emily_ we won't die!" Theo laughs giddily and reaches down to my phone turning up the volume right up so the Star Wars dubstep was filling everyone's ears.

"_That's what I've been saying the whole time._" I mutter and get up once again to prance around, not bothering about the source of our excitement still sitting on the bed, watching us with smirks on their dials. "Moooove you fat arses. I want to sleep."

"Emily." Theo says, voice telling me she wants to join. "We have to do the prank."

"What's this-"

"About a prank?" Theo winces.

"Well, you experienced a day in our shoes. A day as passed in real life. Today was a school day so we had to fake that you were preparing for a huge prank tomorrow." Theo explains, gesturing to the corner with the crappy desk I dragged from an empty classroom.

"They can look at it themselves." I grumble when she pokes me again. "Join me, Theo, to the wonderful land of _sleep_." I grab her sleeve and drag her down with me, immediately cuddling her long-as-a-stick-body. "I don't care what you do with the prank. You can make up a completely different prank altogether. _Just don't bother me._"

"As you-"

"Wish, Emily."

"You should-"

"Go to sleep-"

"As well, Theo."

[()]

**Hohohohoho**

**that is all I have to say.**


	9. Their prank Part 2

**Ughh, I'm so horrible at making up pranks.**

[()]

The room that Hogwarts gave me has a window overlooking the Forbidden Forest and the massive grounds between the castle and the marching lines of gigantic trees. During summer (well, what counts as summer because it's still bloody cold then) I can watch ant-like students lazying around on the grass, studying, mucking around, napping. During winter I can watch students build fortresses, charmed snowballs whizzing around, good ol' hand-thrown snowballs missing their mark by metres, and can watch them all do it without the fear that I'll get a few thrown my way even though I'm not playing.

This window, _just so happens_, to face the rising sun.

After a night of sleeping, our fear settled when the twins woke, I'm woken up by the sun _burning_ my skin off my face and the room being far too hot to sleep in.

I'm almost reminded of Australia.

Theo hasn't woken yet, but I can see she needs a glass of water before a heatstroke happens. Nudging her awake didn't work, so I pushed her off the bed. Theo wakes up with legs and arms thrown everywhere.

I laugh and drag out my spare clothes I stored up here long ago. Unfortunately, it was a the only set with a skirt and there wasn't another one for Theo. When I offer it to her she waves it away so I have to wear it.

"It feels weird to be in a skirt." I tug at the bottom of it. "Plus, it was meant for my 12 year old self so it's a tad too short. Oh well, who cares. It's fresh. Could you block the door? Don't want the twins coming in when I shower."

It was a cleaver trick I made when Oliver, one of Tiani's boy friends, loved to dunk smelly plant sap and other unknown liquids on me and I couldn't get to the dorms because hey, Tiani. A water barrier was created in a corner with nothing there and I just filled a bucket with water and tipped it over me. Once I was done with the water, I let it pour out of the window.

Theo politely turns away and leans against the door heavily. As I washed, I explained why and how I got this idea and I see her clench her fist with every word. I am really, really, really thankful for Theo. I hope I've said it enough.

Once I've cleaned up the 'shower,' I start to put clothes on, and my phone chimes. Theo wonders over and picks it up, carefully pressing the home button and reading the notice.

"You've got a text from 'KING HANNAH.'" she says and wonders over to hand it to me. Just as I am texting back to my tumblr friend, the door bursts open with the twins racing in. It takes a second before I remember that my shirt isn't buttoned up yet, and judging by their red faces, the twins noticed too.

"Sup," I nod, spearing their honor by turning away. "How's the prank going?"

"Wait," Theo interjects, "how did you get in here? We haven't shown you."

"I saw it," one of them said, quiet as a mouse. "Just barely for a second, but I did." I wave my hand over my shoulder.

"The prank?" I remind them.

"Oh yes, we've added a few things, here and there, but it's completely like the one you devised." the other twins says. They sound different now, just a little, but it's a sudden difference that slaps me.

One has an Australian accent. The other chooses his words carefully like Theo. God, this is so strange.

"It's a wonderful idea, and you've set it up wonderfully."

"But judgin' by the way you acted last night, it musta put a lot of stress on you." Yeah, that's how he spoke. Theo must noticed too because she gave me a look and I shrugged in reply. Hopefully they won't notice.

"However if you-"

"Come down-"

"To breakfast-"

"Then we'll-"

"Have ta-"

"Place the prank-"

"On you anyway."

With every word they switched, the accent was more pronounced. Jesus fuck, I hope nobody else notices.

"We can just go down to the kitchens just in case," I tell them and drop my phone on top of my Hogwarts covercoat. Thankfully I took it off last night other wise it would've smelt of sweat. Yes, the room was that hot. I can see it effecting Theo, and only one of the twins. The other must've been in Australia, probably those times when I told mum about my 'friends.'

Ughhh this is so fucked up.

"Who is Fred and who is George? And don't pull that bullshit about forgetting who's who, I have pictures that anyone would love to get... most certainly Mr Snape..." I smirk and Theo's eyes pull at the corners, her version of a smirk. The twins try to cast me suspicious looks but are distracted by my shirt. With a sigh I button it up, and was soon wrestling my tie on. Fuckin hate these things, don't see why its one of the few school uniform rules. One best thing was it didn't say what colours you had to wear.

"Well, I'm Gred," the one with the Australian accent says, pointing to himself, "and he's Forge."

"Coolskies." I reach down to pick up my overcoat and slip my phone inside one of the pockets. Wondering past the twins I pick up my laptop and other odds and ends that had found themselves back in here. With a few wand swishes, the room was back to where is was before. "Great, shall we leave, Gred and Forge."

Theo walks up beside me and I link my arm through hers. "We're off to see the wizard! The wonderful wizard of Oz!" She smiles and starts skipping along with me. We left the twins in the room, and to my horror, as later I would find out, that wasn't the last we saw of them.

[x]

After a safe breakfast in the kitchens, we ventured out to find our Charms Potions class. It was utter mayem. True to their word, our base prank was still there, but they had added a few things in.

Overall, the prank was this:

Scrolls and quills follow the students around and a howler will scream riddles at them. If they get it right, then they have a 30 minute rest before another riddle. If they get it wrong, then they get a pun screamed at them, a metaphor will come to life (say, _cold as ice_, and anything not alive on them would become ice) and they'll get the glitter, balls and feathers dumped onto them, and stick to them like glue. Just to trick them up, the puns and metaphors included stuff from Muggle culture.

The twins added in the howlers and a spell so students couldn't tell each other the answer. All in all, I was actually impressed we managed this (through it was probably better with the twin's help). People were running around screaming and I saw metaphors come to life in front of me. Someone had donkey's ears sprouting from above their heads, which would've come from the _as long as donkey's ears_ line.

"I cannot help this but..." I my palm out to Theo, smiling when she returned the high five. Smiling, we made our way to class, my headphones making their way to my ears. Halfway through my second song, I feel myself being pushed forward, away from Theo as Gred jumps in between us, my scar glinting on his eyebrow, Forge following behind him.

"Weasley and Weasley!" Mr Snape shouts and I hear his Howler go _off_. Screaming _wrong_ and a pun I couldn't hear over other puns and I can see his cloak turn into bat's wings and a truck load of golden glitter appearing above his head unloading on him.

"Oh my god I can't believe that metaphor went off so early in the day!" I giggle in Theo's ears, too busy marveling the sight of bat wings behind Mr Snape than to be angry at the twins for pushing us. Theo cracked a small smile and pulled me along.

"You know we have to tell them about the scar and their accents." Theo sighs and props her head in her palm. "They'll probably notice anyway."

"Why does Gred have my scar anyway?" I ask as I dig out my exercise book and mark down the date.

"The spell literally forces them to be in your shoes. They physically go back to that day and some say for a few minutes after waking they still think that they are that person. It also explains the accent." Theo bitterly pulls out the pacer I lent to her after her ink split in her bag and copies down the potions recipe that Mr Snape had written up earlier.

Speak of the devil and he will appear. The door slams open and in storms our teacher, bat wings flaring out behind him.

"Class. Those scrolls cannot be destroyed so _try_ to answer them without setting it off. Although with your small brains I expect no potions to be done well today." Mr Snape glared at the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. "Today you'll be _trying _to make the growing plant, made to grow plants at an extraordinary rate. Get on with it, the instructions will be gone in 10 minutes. Holave and de Asis up to my desk now."

_Oooooooh_s and _Get rekt_ began to rise out of the class as we shuffled off the stools. I look around and see everyone sans us being followed by a piece of parchment and a howler. Had they not figured it out?

"Tell me how you got rid of the scrolls." Mr Snape snaps, glare at full bore.

"Well, for one, Mr Snape, we ate in the kitchens." I start and grip the end of my skirt with my hands. I miss my pants. "And well, it's easy, isn't it? Those type of charms only work for a day at most which is why a fourth year can cast it easy peasy. The trick is to speed up time, as it's resistant to fire, water, jinxes, curses, transfiguration and charms. In the Ravenclaw common room, they have their own library. Right up the back, in a corner people mostly miss because it's past the muggle books and nobody's interested in those except muggle borns like my parents, there are a few books that have really old spells that still work."

"What is this time spell?" Mr Snape asks, completely ignoring the fact that there was a dark section of books students had no problems accessing.

"Well, uh," I rush back to my desk and rip out a page and returned with my pacer. Quickly I retrace the spell circle. "That how was shown in the book. I didn't really get beyond just reading it. Take it to Mrs Quineem, she's the spell theory teacher." Mr Snape takes it with reluctance, and shoos us off.

"Would that really work?" Theo asks as we start the potion.

"Well, I did start trying the spell, but it's for people with developed magic cores. I could probably cast it now, but it still might not work." I explain and snap the headphones over my ears again. _All Star _began to play as I cut up the plant's leaves.

[x]

In the dead of the night, I wondered the halls, still wide awake from the fuckin' scary book I read just then. I'm really easily scared, I knew I shouldn't have read it. I don't have a mummy to cuddle up with, I'm such an idiot. At least I escaped the Gryffindor Common Room without waking Theo up.

Luckily it was only 10 pm so the lights around Hogwarts was still up for the year 7s. With nobody in sight, choosing to stay inside the library or the Great Hall, I could easily play my music out loud without annoying anyone.

With the guitar riff of _Sweet Child 'O' Mine_ echoing through the hall I was currently strolling through, I almost didn't hear the _pisst _and _oi, Emily _calling from the trophy room. I froze in my dancing and singing, and relaxed when I realised it was Gred and Forge. I sing the lyrics under my breath as I strolled towards them, slowly turning up the volume just to annoy them.

"Sup mah bruh whadda want?" I say, taking in the sponge and buckets everywhere. The glass doors were open wide and trophies out of their usual places. "Need help? I'm bored and I can't go to sleep."

"Awesome, that'll-" Gred grins, handing me a sponge and a bucket.

"Be amazing!" Forge glumly squats down beside a dusty trophy and halfheartedly swipes at the trophy. I drop my overcoat next to my phone and headphones, making sure the volume was all the way up and got a trophy that looked half-done.

"I've already done that," Gred protested, reaching out to take it away and place it back in the glass cabinets.

"Your fuckin' kiddin' me, right? This is _not _done." I grasp the base of the trophy and scrub. Within a few strokes, the lines gleamed, a stark difference from the surface around it. "Get it to this shininess." The twins take a look at my trophy and sigh when they compare it to theirs. It looked like they had been at it for a while now, and I can understand the frustration of doing it all over again.

Hours later I find myself re-engraving the names into the metal slates, wand slowly retracting the worn scratches. Once the last trophy was done, I sit up and see the twins waiting for me to place it back. As soon as the base touched the glass, Mr Filch ran into the room.

"Ohh, got yourself a helper?" he snarls, locking the case with an extremely old key for a glass cabinet.

"I helped them with the prank." I admit, because I've got to thank them for actually doing it and not raising alarm. "Half the riddles came from me."

"See you next detention then," Mr Filch grins with rotten teeth. "7 pm at my office, everyday for a month."

"Yes Mr Filch." I pick up my stuff and shrug on the overcoat.

"Why did you-" Gred slides up on my right, linking his arm through mine.

"Say that?" Forge does the same on my left. I struggle to get out of the lock and roll my eyes when they refuse to let go.

"Because you could've refused to do it and tell the teachers what really happened." I snap, giving one last wrench.

"Oh but Emily, we're rather glad-"

"That it happened. Now, we can-"

"Get rid o' those bitches." Their grip on my arms tightened in the memory of Theo's and my memories.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I huff and let my legs sag, making the twins take my weight.

"What do-"

"You think?"


End file.
